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Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Sprue Cutters Union #14: The Worst Part Is...

Now that the Spruecutter's Union has discussed methods, tools and preferred subjects, we move on to the parts of our hobby that we enjoy the least. Is it sniffing glue and paint fumes, locating small pieces on a thick carpet or trying to re-assemble broken decals?

- What do you think is the worst part of the hobby? -

If you asked me this question a couple of months ago, I'd say : Airbrushing!! If you've been reading my blog for a little longer than a few months (or want to catch up by reading everything labeled airbrush), you've read about my occasional battles with the airbrush. It wasn't my friend, at times it was my nemesis, but a necessary evil to overcome because the paintjob is soo much nicer than what I can achieve with handbrushing.

Now that I - somewhat unexpectedly - have a new airbrush, this relationship has changed. I no longer battle the tool, but can focus on the technique, which is a great relief. I can concentrate on playing with the paint, thinning ratio's and getting the hang of the dual-action trigger.

So, what DO I consider the worst part of the hobby?Seams in hard-to-reach places
I don't mind filling and sanding, but I hate when it's in little nooks and crannies or on a part where sanding also removes little raised detail.Broken or misbehaving decals
Broken decals can be fixed by just carefully sliding them in place. If you're very lucky, it's not (or hardly) noticable, but I *HATE* when the decal doesn't want to be put in it's place.
You place the decal on the tip of your hobby knife (or whatever you use) and carefully position it where it's needed. You pull back the knife, but he decal is stuck. You grab some tweezers or toothpick and try to slide it of the knife. Next comes the point where you wish you had 3 hands. You can feel a twitch coming in your arm, but you hold it steady because you know the consequences.
Now you've dragged the decal 1 millimeter too far, so you lift the damn thing up to start all over and THEN : it folds in on itself, sticking like it has permanent adhesive and will never come apart again. Trying to unfold it just breaks it apart and you throw the damn thing away.

If this was a "do not walk"-label on a modern fighter, chances are there's a few spare, or you can redistribute what you have left so nobody notices. It tends to happen to unique and very important pieces tough ....